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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY L. LARRABEE, OF PEABODY, MASSAGHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-l TI-IIRDTO CHARLES A. BROWN, OF SAME PLACE.

LAST.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 509,384, dated November28, 1893.

Application filed May l5, 1893. Serial No. 474.182. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY L. LAERABEE,

i of Peabody, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Boot or Shoe Lasts, of whichthe following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecication.

My invention relates to lasts adapted for use in the manufacture ofsewed boots or shoes. In the process of lasting such boots or shoes upona common last, an inner sole is usually tacked to the bottom of the lastto which the edges of the upper leather are fastened by nails or pegs.This inner sole makes the boot or shoe sti and clumsy, and the nails orpegs used in fastening the parts together are often troublesome.

My invention has for its object the doing away with the use of the innersole and consists in the employment of a hollow last of peculiarconstruction upon which the boot orl shoe maybe directly lasted withoutthe intervention of an inner sole, thereby producing an easy, elasticshoe, similar in character to that known as a turned shoe.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved lastshowing the outside of the sole. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section; Fig.3 a cross section.

The'last may be made of wood or metal, but preferably the latter. It ismade as usual in two parts A and B, the upper part or block extendingnearly to the toe as shown in the drawings so as to facilitate the useof the sewing machine.

The last is made hollow from the line of the front of the heel forward.Around the edge of the sole of this portion of the last is a channel C Ccut through the sole and leaving the tongue shaped portion of the sole Dprojecting from the solid portion of the last at the heel. Around thetongue D near its edge is a depressed channel E E bridged at intervalswith cross wires e e.

' n G G are wooden plugs which are inserted in the sole of the last whenthe latter is made of metal to hold the nails by which the sole of theboot is fastened tothe last.

In the process of lasting with my improved last a'stout thread or cord FF is passed under the cross wires e c from end to end of the channel Eby means of a bristle attached to the end of the cord in the same way asto a waxed end, or by any other suitable means. The edges of the upperleather are then drawn over those of the last and are held in place bystitches taken by means of a suitably curved needle through the upperleather and under and around the cord F. When the lasting is finished,the upper portion or stock of the last is removed and the sole placed inposition and lightly tacked to the bottom of the last by nails driventhrough the sole and into the plugs G. The upper and sole are then sewedtogether, the hollow last with its channel C admitting thehorn of thesewing machine, and giving free space for the formation of the seam. Atthe heel( the sole and the upper are united by nails or pegs in theusual manner. After the sole and upper are thus fastened together thethread Fis pulled out, its ends having been left free for that purpose,thereby releasing the stitches taken around it in the process oflasting, and the last is then removed.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The hollow last A B having its channel O cut through the sole, andprovided with the depressed channel E with its cross wires e e, all asand for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 27th day of March, A. D.1893.

HENRY L. LARRABEE. Witnesses:

F. W. COTTON, CHAs. M. REED.

